Method of and toy device for projecting shadow pictures



April 15 T. FLEMING METHOD A ,D T

H FOR FROJECTING SHADOW PICTURES Filed Dec. 2. 19,21

ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 15, I924.

THOMAS FLEMING, OF SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

METEOD 0F AND TOY DEVICE FOR PROJECTING SHADOW PICTURES.

Application filed December 2, 1921. Serial No. 519,450.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS FLEMING, a citizen of the United States and aresident of South Orange, in the county of Essex and State of NewJersey, have invented a new and Improved Method of and Toy Device 'forProjecting Shadow Pictures,

and

which the following is a full, clear, exact description.

This invention relates to a method of and toy device for projectingshadow pictures. An object of the invention is the provision of a methodwhereby any desired material may be formed or treated in accordancetherewith whereby the projection of shadow pictures thereby will resultin ictures which very accurately and in a liiblike manner simulate thesubject which it is desired to project.

Another object resides in the rovision of a sheet of material so formedtliat the pro- 'ection of a shadow icture therethrough, or

y means of this evice,'will result in a much im roved and more lifelikepicture.

A furt er object resides in the particular construction and arrangementof parts which are hereinafter described and claimed and shown in theaccompanying drawings.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing, which is a perspective viewshowing the device and the shadow picture which it forms when held up infront of a source of light.

The particular application of the invention shown is a design of thedevice of the general preferred type, although it is understood thatmodifications in the construction and arrangement of the parts and inthe character of the materials used may be adoplted without departingfrom the spirit of t e invention.

In the drawing, the figure marked A is a sheet 1 of material, preferablycardboard, which has been cut to any desired outline so that when heldup in front of a source of li ht a shadow of this outline will beprojects on the desired surface. This sheet may, of course, be of anydesired size and material and outline. Since it is, however, intended toproject a picture and not a mere outline or silhouette it becomesnecessary to treat the sheet so that a most accurate and lifelikepicture I have found, therefore, that by studying the subject which itis desired to project or throw on a surface as a shadow picture,

. shown a sheet out which the high lights are will be projected.

there are certain portions of this subject, which may be a photograph, aview of a person or other animate object, which are so illuminated bythe light falling thereon as to produce what are known in the art aslights, especially high lights. In other words, if the entire surface,of an object is subjected to'the same degree of light and that samedegree of light is reflected 'into the observers eyes from all points ofthe object, then there is no contrast presentr ed to the eyes of theobserver from which a pictorial representation can be formed. However,when a picture contains these socalled lights, there is always a cient'contrast for the observation of a definite picture or impression of thesubject. I have found, also, that if the sheet of material 1 abovementioned has cut from within its outline those portions, of the pictureor figure which in the real subject are high lights, when light is,therefore, transmitted through this sheet these ortions of the sheetorthe picture proected on any desired surface will be illuminated and formthe high 1i hts desired in the simulation of the origina subject.

Therefore, in the representation of the invention as shown in thedrawings I have out to represent the outline of a well-known actor, andfrom this sheet I have cut out portions thereof which are located inthose parts of the sheet in located in the original picture of thesubject or on the features of the subject itself when disposed in acertain position with respect to the light thrown thereon. I have foundthat by cutting out the high-light portions of an. opaque sheet ofmaterial representing in outline a given figure, a very remarkable,accurate and lifelike simulation of the original subject is producedwhen this sheet is held up in front of a source of light and the shadowpicture thrownon anyfsurface. The figure'marked B of the drawing is arepresentation of the shadow picture formed by the projection of lightagainst and through the sheet shown in Figure It will be observed notonly by a consideration of this drawin but by cutting a sheet inaccordance wit tinned invention that astonishing likenesses areproduced. It is a parent that these pictures may be former by cuttingout of a sheet of cardboard, paper or any other such as 2, 3, 4, etc,

opaque substance, the light portions of a portrait, caricature oranimal, by means of a suitable die, knife or stamp in such manner thatsunlight or artificial light will cast a shadow representing thecomplete picture of the object intended.

What I claim is:

A device for projecting life-like silhouettes which comprises a sheet ofmaterial having the desired outline of the silhouette 10

